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BlogArrowLandlording & Rental PropertiesArrow5 Questions to Ask Yourself If You’re Considering DIY Property Maintenance
Landlording & Rental Properties Feb 19, 2021

5 Questions to Ask Yourself If You’re Considering DIY Property Maintenance

Remen Okoruwa
Expertise: Landlording & Rental Properties
28 Articles Written
image of man installing tile behind sink with article title superimposed

If you're a startup landlord, it could be tempting to do your own property maintenance. After all, you could save some money on repairs with the idea of increasing your profits. But does maintaining your rental properties always pay off? Are there solid reasons for hiring contractors to do maintenance work? Or is it best to hire a property manager to take care of maintenance tasks?

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You may fancy yourself as a bit of a handy-person. And you’ve probably seen enough DIY shows to know your way around a toolbox. But is this enough to encourage you to do your own property maintenance? The question goes a little deeper than this.

There are some property maintenance tasks that you are probably capable of doing. However, this doesn’t mean you should rush to the sound of your tenant’s messages with wrench in hand. This article explores five key things to consider when deciding whether to do your own property maintenance.

Related: How Much Does Property Management Cost? Here’s What Fees to Expect

1. Do you have the time?

Some rental property owners still have full-time jobs. Others can own and manage upwards of 20 or even 50 rental units. Regardless of the circumstances, you will be busy doing your own property maintenance. Ask yourself if you have the available time to handle each maintenance request.

On a similar note, you need to think about whether you can care for urgent requests promptly. For example, say you’re at your day job or some distance away. Is it reasonable to think you will get to your property quickly in the case of a burst pipe or no heat? How long will your tenant wait before they become agitated? Once you have thought about these two things, you can decide how much it will cost you to drop what you are doing to fix the issue.

2. Do you have the maintenance knowledge?

It seems so easy on the TV—right? Flip and fix contestants always seem to quickly learn how to patch up a wall or replace a damaged floorboard. What you rarely see is the team of professionals behind the camera teaching them how to do it.

Various tasks frequently crop up—like leaky faucets or a blocked drain. In this case, it is worth taking the time to learn how to fix the problem yourself. Trickier tasks can be harder to learn and require more time to master the skill, which circles back to the question of your available time.

3. Does the task require a licensed professional?

Remember the saying “Jack of all trades, master of none”? While it’s perfect if you have basic DIY skills to do small repairs, you will find there are limits. By law, landlords must maintain health and safety standards. For this, unless you have a license, you won’t be able to provide the necessary certifications for installing appliances or carrying out repairs.

Here are a few maintenance jobs that require a licensed contractor:

  • Electricians: You need a licensed electrician for high-voltage projects, laying new electrical cables, loose wires, and fixing tripped circuits. Flickering or dimming lights can be a sign of the wrong voltage running to appliances.
  • Plumbers: Even if a license isn’t required, it’s always best to get a professional plumber for fixing blockages and servicing water heaters. It is also highly recommended to use a professional for shower valve replacements and bathtub replacements because of the time and size of the job. Of course, you need a licensed plumber for any gas-related work.
  • HVAC specialists: Use licensed HVAC professionals to carry out annual servicing to ensure systems run optimally. They will check the flue, ducts, and heat exchanger, replace filters, clean out the unit, and lubricate the motor.
  • Environmental hazards: Licensed contractors may be required to fix problems related to mold or more serious hazards like lead paint and asbestos.
  • Pest control: Preventative pest control and getting rid of pests is another job best left to the professionals. For example, traps and baits can be a health risk. Also, professionals know how to deal with large infestations.

Choosing to do the above tasks yourself will most likely lead to more problems. It’s best to call a professional.

Related: 6 Handyman Skills Every Flipper Should Master

4. How much do repairs cost?

Here’s a common scenario when landlords tackle maintenance jobs themselves. The landlord begins a fairly standard maintenance task. However, they make a mistake, don’t have the right tools or equipment, or the scope of the job is more extensive than expected. The result? The situation becomes worse. Eventually, they must call a professional, which leads to more expenses. In many cases, it’s faster, quicker, and more efficient to call a professional. This way, you can put your time to better use and keep your tenants happy

5. Can the tenant fix the problem?

Your tenant may be handier than you, or they may even be a licensed professional. Often, the perfect solution is literally under your roof. Making sure a complete toolkit is available on the property is a smart thing to do. You can also offer to pay for repairs or give a discount on the rent—but only if they are a professional.

If you find a handy-person in one of your properties, it is a good idea to keep them happy. You might find they are willing to help you out with other property maintenance issues in return for discounted rent or a little extra income. This could well be cheaper than hiring a contractor.

How property management apps help with maintenance

One excellent way to resolve many issues with property maintenance is to use a rental property management app. By choosing a property management app that features maintenance requests, you can keep all your communications in one place. Tenants can send a message with the issue and attach pictures. You can reply to the message, informing all the tenants or roommates of the solution. When you include maintenance workers and contractors, you can even assign tasks by sharing the maintenance request.

These technologies help you stay organized and save a mountain of time compared to receiving separate emails, calls, and messages. It also enables you to keep tenants informed faster, and, therefore, be more satisfied.

In conclusion, should you do your own property maintenance?

The question of if it’s wise to do your own property maintenance is a tricky one. You may be able to handle small repair jobs if you manage a few rental units. However, it’s best to consider the value of your own time and knowledge. Savvy landlords use property management apps to streamline many processes, including maintenance. You may find you have the spare time to respond to maintenance requests. With so many online tutorials, learning DIY skills is easier than ever before.

However, suppose the request is of high risk or requires certification from a professional. In that case, the only sensible option for your business is to call your contractor.

By Remen Okoruwa
Remen Okoruwa is the co-founder of RentDrop, a free software tool that helps landlords and property managers collect rent and maintain their units. Remen has a background in the software industry and business strategy, working as product manager at HubSpot and previously serving as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company.
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8 Replies
    John Murray from Portland, Oregon
    Replied 13 days ago
    Journey level skills will make you a multimillionaire quicker, dealing with contractors can be nightmare. Just like Machiavelli stated, to maintain and build fortune (wealth) one must have virtue (skill). He ought to know he wrote the book on how to be an entrepreneur.

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    David Boroughes Rental Property Investor from Newport, RI
    Replied 12 days ago
    An additional important consideration, how close are you to your properties? If you are more than 30 minutes away, you probably won't be able to self manage.

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    Mike Arman
    Replied 11 days ago
    One thing to watch is if the property management company charges a "referral fee". I had one company add on 15% to every service call even though all they did was pick up the phone and call "their guy". And I am sure "their guy" wasn't particularly motivated to do the job economically. Remember, he worked for THEM on MY property. I fired them and got a different management company. This property is supposed to make money for ME, not for THEM, and they just got greedy, they wanted it ALL, and then some. They also offered to list it for sale at a 10% commission. When I asked why it wasn't the customary 6% for residential (a very standard SFR 3/2), they said, oh it is a rental, and that makes it a commercial property so the commission is 10%. Remember that real estate commissions are VERY negotiable, and remember also that there are lots of varmints out there. Be warned . . .
    Mike NA
    Replied 11 days ago
    So true!

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    Christopher Smith Investor from brentwood, california
    Replied 11 days ago
    Unless you really love performing DIY activities, are truly qualified to do it, willing to assume legal liability for your work and understand you will effectively be compensated for it at manual labor rates just leave it to a professional. If you're operating at any scale perform a little due diligence and retain a qualified and reputable property manager. If they are worth their salt they will have the processes in place to handle this more effectively and efficiently then you could never hope to do it at scale. As for tenants doing the work, I would suggest no, beyond light bulb and battery replacement don't let them touch anything you're asking for trouble.

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    Andrew Syrios Residential Real Estate Investor from Kansas City, MO
    Replied 10 days ago
    DIY maintenance/rehab has a very poor track record from what I've seen.

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    Rebecca Dupuis
    Replied 10 days ago
    Very interesting read. I've been debating whether to do my own property management or not, but would definitely want a professional to handle repairs after reading this.

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    James Mauck Rental Property Investor from Portland, OR
    Replied 10 days ago
    I almost sense fear in some of what is written here. I started off life as a mechanic and slid over to engineering when my body began falling apart. But over the years I continually find most "scary" jobs are just made up of simple tasks. No particular part of wiring a house, running drain pipe, or trenching a septic pipe is complicated, maybe just the overall job. But you got to just jump in and do the part you know, the next part becomes apparent at the right time. As for the worth of my time... I don't currently make anywhere near $150/hr for my day job or what I would be paying a professional. So it's hard to pay an electrician or plumber that, even if the first time I attempt a new task it takes me four time longer than the professional. I can burn a lot of hours and still break even, but I learn a ton in the process and the next time it goes faster and then faster. I learn something new and get paid for it. Please don't get me wrong, I understand many on here have hundreds or thousands of units and this lifestyle is by no means efficient or possible. But just try not tot let fear prevent learning every part of this business.

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